Aleta S2C 360 Camera First Impressions.8579

Through the We Get Around Network we at Panoskin were able to get our hands on an Aleta S2C to review. The Aleta is a 360 degree camera that shoots 12k images and 4k Video. The camera is a little bit larger than a can of soda and easy to transport. This is a great DIY solution for those that want to shoot virtual tours for themselves or those just getting started as it eliminates most of the post processing needs.

Below is what why we liked about the Aleta.
1. 12k photos – Many 360 cameras on the market offer solution that shoot photos at 18-24 MP whereas the Aleta SC is serving 66MP images.
2. HDR – The camera offers in-camera HDR processing of images, but ALSO the ability to save the bracket images for you to process on your own.
3. No stitching – This camera provides stitching through the camera hardware itself. You do not need to download an app on a desktop to process your images.
4. Nadir patching – Through the app and the camera, you can add a logo to be stitched into the bottom of your images to cover up the camera tripod legs.
5. Speed – Images are taken and processed within a few seconds.
6. Power– The camera uses 2 18650 Li-ion batteries. These are relatively cheap to purchase and you can bring additional batteries for when you run out of juice. The camera also has a power adapter you can use to keep it running.

Below are some things we think can be improved on.
1. File types – No Raw file for more flexibility in post process editing.
2. Battery charging – you are not able to charge the batteries by plugging in the power adapter. This is not the biggest deal as it comes with a battery charger and you can plug into a battery back with a micro usb adapter.

General 360 camera cons vs DSLR setup
1. Stitching – Unfortunately we can’t have our cake and eat it too. 360 cameras give the user the ability to quickly capture 360 images and stitch them. However, often times the images will have small stitching imperfections. The reason for this is because with DSLR setups, the camera is set at one nodal point and does not move. With 360 cameras, each camera lens is at a slightly different point which makes it more difficult to stitch. That said, most 360 cameras including the Aleta SC do have a live view of all the images so if you see an error you can reposition your camera to help eliminate these errors by repositioning the camera to a different spot.
2. The 360 camera takes a shot of everything in the camera. This means if you don’t want to be in the shot you will need to hide.

Sample tour:

This camera also shoots timelapses and below is an example
Timelapse video

Overall, this camera makes the workflow very simple if you use Panoskin to publish tour as the camera takes care of the HDR, stitching, and nadir patching for you so that you can simply upload the images into Panoskin to build your tours.